Summertown sets new sustainability initiatives in line with its ‘JOURNEY2030’ goal
UAE’s leading fitout contractor says its sustainability strategy is aligned with United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals as well as regional ambitions
UAE’s leading sustainable fit-out contractor, Summertown Interiors has announced that it has recorded positive environmental, economic, and social results in its 2020 Sustainability Report. Prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative, Summertown’s report states that it is on track to achieve its ambitious JOURNEY2030 goals.
According to a statement from the company, the report details their sustainability impact and performance against eight material issues that matter most to Summertown’s business and stakeholders. This is also its fifth report and includes economic performance; environmental impact; people; health, safety and environment; responsible procurement; community; technology; transparency and anti-corruption.
One of Summertown’s JOURNEY2030 sustainability goal was zero waste to landfill, for which it has set up new measurement systems to record tonnage of project site waste – following the re-use, recover, recycle and landfill method. Moreover, the organisation diverted over 80 per cent of waste from landfill on two of its project sites in the past year.
Following the trend, Summertown also decreased its own office’s total energy consumption, recording 129,200kWh for 2019-20, which represents 2,189kWh of energy usage per person, or a 4% decrease in total.
The statement added that the company also successfully delivered four projects that met LEED certification, and that responsible procurement continued to be a priority for the company’s sustainability strategy. With 44% of materials for client’s projects coming from sustainable sources, Summertown stated that it exceeded its 2019-20 targets.
Another critical component of its strategy is being part of the community and giving back, the statement said. In 2019-20, 80 per cent of Summertown employees participated in at least one volunteering activity, which is a 27% increase on the previous year. The average time spent volunteering per person was 8.4 hours and included social-benefit activities.
Marcos Bish, managing director of Summertown Interiors, said: “Our team is passionate about sustainability, and we are extremely proud of the achievements and progress we’ve made as we strive to embed sustainability into every aspect of our business.”
“Looking ahead, the main challenge for us will be the social and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as we continue to navigate this unprecedented, challenging environment. However, we are confident in our people and ability to continue to deliver quality sustainable workplace place solutions for our clients, and reach our JOURNEY2030 sustainability goals,” he added.
The fit-out contractor also stated that in alignment with the UAE government’s happiness agenda, it focuses on its employee’s happiness and wellbeing through its health and wellbeing programme. Last year, Summertown delivered over 11 health and wellbeing initiatives including weekly yoga, a 10-week wellness challenge and other workshops, the statement concluded.
